Tampa Stars Take the Stage to End COVID-19

Today, the American Lung Association in Florida announced the celebrity lineup for the 4th annual virtual Lip Sync For Lungs on January 21. The event will feature performances by local business leaders and entrepreneurs, a doctor, a meteorologist and a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader. 

For the event, local celebrities execute lip sync performances to songs of their choice, all to win the top spot of Lip Sync “VIRTUAL LIVE BATTLE” Champion. The event, which typically takes place at Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College, was reimagined as an interactive live stream experience.

“This fun event will take these well-known Tampa professionals out of their comfort zones and highlight them under bright stage lights,” said Steven Riddle, executive director for the Lung Association. “We are honored to have such incredible people involved with our event. We expect lively performances, all to raise money for critical lung cancer research, to address COVID-19 in the hardest hit communities and to help local people manage their lung disease.”

The celebrity performers include: 

• Dr. John Prpich: Dr. Prpich is the medical director for pediatric respiratory care at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and is board certified in general pediatrics and pediatric pulmonology. He also serves as the medical director for Aveanna Healthcare’s pediatric day health care center in Brandon, a medical daycare for complex and technologically dependent children. He is a member of the quality medical advisory committee for Children’s Medical Services and serves on the board of directors for Sunshine Health. His work focuses on caring for children with asthma and other lung diseases.
• Leigh Spann: Spann is originally from Georgia but has spent the last 13 years in Tampa as a meteorologist for WFLA-TV. She is an animal lover, an avid runner, and the vice president of her running club, LOUD, which combines running and community service. 
• Ellie Finehout: Finehout is a serial entrepreneur in Tampa. After spending almost 20 years in human resource outsourcing, she started her boutique consulting firm, Ascendalyst. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in March, Finehout was inspired by the many virtual happy hours. She created Dun at Home, a new business to make virtual events more engaging, while supporting local servers and bartenders. 
• Sybil Stanonis: Stanonis began dancing when she was just five years old. She toured Russia and Denmark for dance competitions. As an adult, she joined the Knicks City Dancers summer dance troupe and eventually became one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders. Now she is a successful entrepreneur and a single mom to two teen boys. In 2015, she launched Dance Therapy with Sybil. 
• Team Sunshine Health: Sunshine Health offers affordable Florida Medicaid, Medicare Plans and our Health Insurance Marketplace product, Ambetter. The Lip Sync For Lungs Sunshine Health team includes Bill Hinsdale, Duenna Dorsett and Lee Bowers. 

Read more about the Lip Sync For Lungs performers and vote here. 

Money raised at the Lip Sync For Lungs will fund the Lung Association’s efforts to end lung cancer and lung disease, as well as support the organization’s COVID-19 Action Initiative. The COVID-19 Action Initiative is a $25 million investment to address COVID-19 and protect against future respiratory virus pandemics. The initiative works with public and private entities to increase research collaboration and develop new vaccines, detection tests and treatment therapies.

For more information about the virtual Lip Sync For Lungs event, and to get tickets, visit LipSyncForLungsTampa.org.